The word on the internet is that Google’s search engine aggregates endless advice columns and motivational texts that teach you how to be a better boss. But Google also has a different kind of information hidden in its internal server, one that’s harder to parse but (arguably) a better way to get the information you need to excel.
Since 2009 at Google they have been experimenting on a project known as Project Oxygen which has been crunching the numbers on what factors make for the best boss. An engineer managing the project team can dig into reams of data showing what, exactly, makes subordinates satisfied at Google.
Project Oxygen identified eight qualities that employees associated with good management. There were no major shockers — subjects included being a good communicator and not micro-managing your team. But the way employees ranked those priorities totally upset one of Google’s cultural assumptions.
“Being a good coach, which is No. 1, was more important than having technical expertise in your subject matter,” said Jordan Newman, a spokesman for Google. It turns out that being a brilliant coder is not — even at Google — ranked as highly as your people skills, if you lead a team. Expertise came in dead last on the list. Full Story at CNN
